1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer program code development tool and more particularly to a defect tracking tool for computer program code.
2. Description of the Related Art
The basic foundation of the software development lifecycle has changed little in the past several decades. Generally, the software development lifecycle begins with a functional specification outlining the required functionality of the computer program followed by a source code implementation of the functional specification. Thereafter, an iterative cycle of code compilation, testing, recoding, recompilation and further testing can unfold in an effort to produce a computer program with as few operational flaws as possible. Subsequently, the computer program can be fielded to end users and feedback can be obtained from the end users. Code revisions and bug fixes can result and the process can repeat throughout the lifespan of the version of the computer program.
The iterative cycle of the software development lifecycle forms the backbone of the process. During the iterative cycle, source code can be modified to address logical and syntactical flaws in the operation of the computer program. When the iterative cycle and indeed when the entire software development process involves but a single software developer, managing the iterative cycle can be elementary. However, modern software development involves multiple different individuals some fulfilling the same role and some fulfilling different roles. To coordinate the behavior of multiple different users during the software development lifecycle, project management systems embodied within integrated development environments track versions of the source code for a computer program and the actions performed by the multiple different users in respect to the source code.
Integrated development environments for software development often include defect detection and classification logic. Defect detection refers to the detection on the part of the integrated development environment of a defect within the source code. Defects can range from syntactical defects where a line of source code runs afoul of the typographical or grammatical requirements of a corresponding computer programming language, to a logical defects in which the functionality of the source code as written fails to implement the functionality of the functional specification implemented by the source code. Detecting a defect in source code from the perspective of the integrated development environment is a matter of observing a change in the source code applied by an end user and receiving a manual classification of the nature of the defect by the end user.
In this regard, defect classification can be integral to the success of a multi-developer software development effort. Through defect classification, other users can readily identify a change in source code applied by another user and the reasons therefore. Further, the manual classification of the defect can alert the other users participating in the development process of the nature of the defect so that a pattern of defects can be understood by all stakeholders in order to avoid such defects in the future. Notwithstanding, manually classifying a defect in source code is a matter of subjective analysis personal to the user applying the manual classification. To wit, different users may classify the same defect differently thus defeating the purpose of the classification of the defect in a multi-developer software development environment.